Shot gun shells

ABSTRACT

Improved shot patterns are obtained from a shot shell by filling the interstices between the shot with a suitable liquid.

Unite States te 1 1 m1 3,756,155 Smith [451 Sept. 4, 1973 SHOT GUN SHELLS 3,092,026 6/1963 Williams 102/42 0 6] In o D a d w Sm th, 25 5 Blac wood 3,422,761 1/1969 whltmore 102/42 C Rd., Wilmington, Del. 19810 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 22 i 2 1970 789,832 7/1968 Canada 102/42 C 507,888 7/1920 France 102/42 C [21] Appl. No.: 101,751

' Primary ExaminerRobert F. Stahl [52] US. Cl 102/42 R [5 Int. Cl- [58] Field of Search 102/42, 42 C I 1 Improved shot patterns are obtained from a shot shell [56] References Cited by filling the interstices between the shot with a suit- UNITED STATES PATENTS able 34,806 3/1862 Budd 102/42 C 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENFEDSEP mm 3.756; 155

Sam" cuN SHELLS INTRODUCTION This invention comprises an improved shot gun shell. A principal object of the invention is to provide for an improved pattern of the flying shot charge by preventing the flat spots which are formed on individual shot pellets when, immediately following the explosion of the gunpowder, shot pellets nearest the wad are driven forward into the pellets immediately ahead, and so on until the entire charge is accellerated to the muzzle velocity.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When a shot gun shell is fired, the shooter wants a uniform circular pattern with no holes, and with no strays i.e. shot which fly at a large angle to the line of fire. By concentrating all the shot in the circle (which can vary in radius at any given range depending on the choke of the barrel), the shooter will achieve maximum effectiveness in target shooting or hunting. If the shot are not uniformly distributed in the pattern, a perfectly accurate aim can still miss the target if the shot pattern has a hole large enough for the shot to pass around the target. Strays are also adverse, since they do not contribute to the density of the pattern.

A major cause of erratic shot flight is flat spots. These cause unbalanced aerodynamic forces in flight, resulting in unwanted curvature of the shot path. One major cause of flat spots, abrasion from the gun barrel, has been eliminated in recent years by the use of a protective plastic sleeve which contains the shot during the travel down the barrel, then falls away after leaving the muzzle. One manufacturer claims that ten percent of the shot would be abraded were it not for the plastic sleeve.

A problem still exists with the other 90 percent however. This is the flat spotting caused by the progressive accelleratlon of layers of shot immediately after the powder is ignited. The accelleration force is transmitted layer by layer until the entire charge is moving as a unit. Each pellet therefore is subject to distortion and flat spotting from this cause. Numerous attempts have been made to reduce this effect by the use of hardened or nicket plated shot (expensive) or adjustments to wad design. Soft, compressible wads absorb some of the forces of accelleration, but suffer the defect of providing a poor gas seal behind the shot. Present design is an unsatisfactory compromise between these two demands on the wad.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In the present invention, falt spots on the shot are prevented by filling the shot chamber of a shot shell with a suitable liquid. Liquids being incompressible, the entire shot charge and its surrounding liquid will move down the barrel as a unit. Upon leaving the barrel, the liquid is and the protected shot fly in a true pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged schematic view of an ordinary shell immediately after firing, showing the accellerating force vectors acting on several layers of shot with resultant flat spotting.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the wad and shot portion of the improved shot shell before firing showing the principle of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the individual shot pellets 1 rest against their neighbors in a close-packed configuration (only two dimensions are shown for clarity, it being understood that in three dimensional reality each shot pushes against three in the next row). Since the shot are constrained by the barrel, when the gun is fired the net effect of the force vectors 2 is forward. Flat spots 3 result whereever the shot touch. The layer 4 next to the wad 5 is forced into layer 6 and so on until all the shot are traveling at the same speed.

The compression and flat spotting at contact points 3 could not occur if the entire shot charge were contained in an incompressible medium.

Referring to FIG. 2, the interstitial spaces between the individual pellets l are filled with a liquid 7. Only a part of the plastic case 8 and the gunpowder 9 is shown. As is well known, most common liquids are for all practical purposes incompressible, and therefore when the shell is fired, the accellerating force is transmitted uniformly throughout the combined mass of shot and liquid. Since this combined mass must accellerate as a unit, there is no layer-by-layer accelleration and hence no flat spotting of the shot.

The choice of the best liquid to fill the spaces between the shot is complicated by a number of factors. First, many liquids (and their vapors) would destroy or depress the effectiveness of the gunpowder if the liquid or its vapor were to reach that part of the shell which contains the powder. This problem can be avoided by several means. Liquid flow can be prevented by adding a thickening or thixotropic agent such as gelatin, guar gum, or carboxy methyl cellulose. (It should be noted at this point that the present invention differs from that shown in U. S. Pat. No. 12,545 in that the wet clay of U. S. Pat. No. 12,545 dried out before use and hence the shot are imbedded in a solid. This is also true of U. S. Pat. No. 34,806 which claims a brittle surround of wax. In both cases, two disadvantages appear: (a) undesirable solid particles can be blown back at the shooter when the wind is adverse, and (b) particles will adhere to the pellets thus causing poor pattems.) Furter, if soft wax were used, the shot would be held together in a lump, thus defeating the purpose of a scatter shot gun. Another approach to the prevention of liquid or vapor degredation of the gunpowder is by means of the seal shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,299,813 to Rickey. It should be understood that all of the foregoing discussion of the use of liquids has been in the context of modern shot shell construction, in which a waterproof plastic (polyethylene) is used for the shell body and wad.

A second problem in the use of liquids is that of freezing or boiling under extremes of ambient temperature. Freezing can be prevented by use of a nonaqueous liquid such as heavy mineral oil (with or without additives to improve the viscosity index), or ethylene glycol, the latter either alone or in solution in water. These liquids also have low vapor pressures so boiling or vaporization at high summer temperatures will not be a problem.

The principle described above was tested by firing shells (from the same box) at paper targets at 20 and 40 yards. The gun, in a machine rest, had a 30 inch full choke barrel. The shells were purchased at retain (No.

4 shot, 2 74 Magnum); test shells were made by injecting a 7 poise water solution of carboxy methyl cellulose into the shot chamber by use of a hypodermic syringe. Results of the test firing were as follows. There are slightly less than 200 pellets in each shell.

Number of shot within Test shells Regular *Some shot completely missed the 36 by 72 inch rectangular paper targets, with a greater number of misses in the regular shell test.

The superiority of the liquid filled shell is evident, especially in reducing the number and spread of strays. There was no liquid mist in the indoor range after firing; as expected, the liquid was completely vaporized.

Although I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail as required by the patent statute, many modifications and variations within the spirit of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art, and all such modifications and variations are considered to fall within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved shot shell having generally spherical shot therein, in which the interstices between the shot are filled with a liquid which remains in the liquid state at normal ambient temperatures.

2. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is selected from the group consisting of (a) water, and (b) other inorganic liquids.

3. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is selected from the group consisting of (a) hydrocarbons which freeze below l5C and boil above C, (b) alcohols, including glycols and other polyhydric alcohols, which freeze below 1 5C and boil above 60C, and (c) other organic liquids which freeze below l5C and boil above 60C.

4. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is a solution.

5. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is an emulsion.

6. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is thixotropic.

7. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is made highly viscous.

222233? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No; 3, 756.155 Dated September 4, 197e, C

Inventor(s) Donald W. Smith It isv certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

arm

Column 1, line 41, -"accellerat10n" should read accelleration Column 1 line 55, "felt" should read flat Column 1, line 60-, the word "vaporized" was omitted after the words "liquid is" Signed and sealed this 22nd day ofJanuary 197L;..

(SEAL) Attest: V

EDWARD -M.FLETCHER,JR. l RENE D.- TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner o'fPatents Po-w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION) Petent Noe 155 d Da September 4, 1973 lniventofls) Donald W. Smith i It is certified that erfor appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below;

Column 1, line 41, "accelleratlon" should read accelleration Column 1, line 55, "falt" should read flat Column 1, line 60, the erd "'vaporized" was omitted after the Words "liquid is" Signed and sealedjthis 22nd day of January l97lp.

(SEAL) Attest: V

EDWARD -M.FLETCHER, JR. RENE D.- TEGTMEYEIg" d ttesting Officer Acting Commissioner nt 

2. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is selected from the group consisting of (a) water, and (b) other inorganic liquids.
 3. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is selected from the group consisting of (a) hydrocarbons which freeze below -15*C and boil above 60*C, (b) alcohols, including glycols and other polyhydric alcohols, which freeze below -15*C and boil above 60*C, and (c) other organic liquids which freeze below -15*C and boil above 60*C.
 4. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is a solution.
 5. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is an emulsion.
 6. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is thixotropic.
 7. The improved shot shell of claim 1 in which the liquid is made highly viscous. 